Corset



(No Model.)

G. A.` CLOSE.,

GORSBT.

M H @HUH H06 .@DHH@ NWN. www

Patented June 12, 1888.

) IIIIIIIJ x I l I l l l ffm/mfom UNITED STATES Partnr `ritten.

G. ALBERT'US CLOSE, OF BRIDGEPOR'I, CONNECTICUT.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,307, dated .Tune l2, 1888.

Application filed February 13, IESS'. Serial No. QGILSM. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, G. ALBEnTUs CLOSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairlield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the saine.

hIy invention relates to the manufacture of corsets, and has for its object to devise a system of construction which will enable nie to produce ahalf-corset from two sections of niaterial joined by a single seam, said sections being so shaped that when joined together the required curves and swells shall be imparted to the hal f-corset without stretching the material, without the insertion of a single gusset, gore, or dart, and without a cnt into either section or seain in it-that is to say, the only body-seam in each half-corset shallbe the single seam by which the two sections are joined together. rfhis seam is curved and recul-vcd, extending from the top of the half-corset at approximately the center of the bnst-swell downward, then curving forward under the bust-swell, then curving downward and backward at the waist-line, then slightly upward over the hip, and downward to the lower edge of the corset at or near the lacing-stay.

It will of course be understood that in describing the curvature and direction of this seam I speak approximately only, as it is evident that the curves must be varied within reasonable limits to adapt my novel corset to various styles of gures. This, however, is wholly within the principle ot' my invention.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication, Figure l is an elevation ot the right half of a corset held tlat-that is, not distended to illustrate any special development at bust or hip; Fig. 2, a similar elevation, the saine hal f-corset being reversedthat is, the view being ofthe inner side; and Figs. 3 and 4 are views illustrating approximately the shape of the lower and upper sec tions of each half-corset as cut from the piece ot material.

A denotes the upper section; B, the lower section; C, the lacing-stay; D, the clasp-stay, and E the bone-pockets.

The lacing and clasp stays may be of the usual `or any preferred construction, and re-` quire no special description. This is equally true ofthe bone-pockets, which may be made in any preferred manner. lu the drawings I have shown the bone-pockets as formed by stitching strips of material upon thcouter side of the body oi' the corset from top to bottoni, each bone-pocket being divided by seams to hold three bones. The style and arrangement of these pockets, however, forni no portion of my invention, and they may be varied to an unlimited extent without departing from the principle thereof. As will of course be understood, the shape o1' the corset depends entirely upon the shape to which sections A and B arc cut. My invention, therefore, is not limited to any special lines of curvature, but consists in the broad idea of constructing a halt-corset 'from two pieces of material so shaped that when stitched together the desired shape is secured without stretching or cutting and without additional seams, all variations in shape required to adapt my novel corsets to long or short waisted or stout or slender figures being made by variations in the lines of curvature of the said sections A and B. My description of the shape el' these sections must therefore be general rather than specilic.

For convenience in description I have illustrated the upper and lower sections in the positions relatively to each other in which they appear in Fig. 2-that is, looking at the inner side of a corset stretched ont but not distended. It should be noted that the scale of Figs. 3 and 4 does not correspond with the sca-le of Figs. l and 2.

Beginning with the upper section, which I have denoted as a whole by A, (see Fig. 4,) the u pper line of this sect-ion (the two extremes of which l have indicated by l and 2 in Figs. 2 and 4) in a completed corset extends from approximately the center of the bust-swell to the back of the corset.. The curvature of this line, of course, varies considerably in different styles of corsets. The portion indicated by 3 in Fig. 2 is the under-arm curvature. If the corset is required to be especially high at the back, this section is made higher at 2. It it is required to be especially high at the bust, the section is made higher at l, and if required to be made low at either of these points-as, for instance, to adapt the corset to short-waisted iigures--it is made lower at either l or 2, or both. The baci; line of this section-that is, from 2 to I-1 --extends from the top of the cor- ICO set to the bottom at the back, the length of this line, allowing of course for trimming, being the back length of the corset. This line is given more or less inward curvature, as at 5, to assist in imparting to the finished corset the required inward curvature at the waist. The bottom line of this section-that is, from 4 to (S--is short, usually straight, and ends at or near the inner edge of the back-stay. The front line of this section is curved and recurved in a manner so peculiar that the line of curvature can only be described approximately; From 6 to the point denoted by 7 the line is approximately straight upward. From the point denoted by 7 the line curves upward and forward to assist in forming the hip-swell ofthe completed corset. This upward and forward curvature reaches its highest point at orabout the point denoted by 8, which is at the waist-line of the completed corset. From 8 to 9 in the'section the line trends downward slightly and forward. In the completed corset this is the waist-line at the side. From 9 to 10 the curve is upward and forward. It then recurves, and from 10 to 1l is upward and inward, the point 11 being under the bust- `swel1. -From 11 to 1 the line curves outward slightly, the general direction being upward "and forward. This portion of the section forms approximately one-half of the bust-swell,

Turning now to Fig. 3, in which I have illustrated the lower section (denoted by B) in plan, the top line of said section, extending from 12 to 13, forms the top line of the completed corset from about the center of the bustswell to the front. The front line-that is, from 13 to 14-forms the front line of the completed corset. This line curves inward more or less, as at 15,.to assist in giving to the finished corset the required inward curvature at the waist. The bottom line of this section, extending from 14C to 16, is a convex curve varying in convexity to adapt the corset -to different 'styles of figures, it being of course apparent that this section forms in the cornpleted corset the portion covering the hip of the wearer. The back line of this section is curved in a manner peculiar to this invention, the special outline assisting in givingl to the completed corset the necessary fullness at bust and hip. From point 16 to point 17 the vline is a'convex curve extending upward and then forward-that is, toward the front. From point 17 to point 18 the line is a concave curve extending inward and forward. At point 18 the line is recurved, and from 18 to 19 itis a concave curve extending upward and backward, and from 19 to 12 the line is a slightly- 'convex curve, this portion of the material forming the forward portion of the bust-swell. Having :cut sections A and B in accordance with the predetermined lines of curvature,the making of the body of a corset consists,simpl y, in `joining thesesections by a single curved and recurved seam, which I have designated as Fin Figs. 1 and 2.

` It will be seen that the front line of section A and the back line of section B do not correspond with each other in the slightest. If they did, the parts would lie perfectly flat when stitched together, so that there would be no bust or hip swells.

In stitching the sections together the front edge of section A from 1 to 10 is joined to the portion of the back edge of section B extending from 12 to 18, and the portion of the front edge of section A from 10 to 6 is joined to the portion of the back edge of section B extending from 18 to 16. When the two sections have been joined together by seam F, the points in Figs. 3 and 4 denoted by 15 and 18 and 10 and 5 will be substantiallyin line with each other at the waist of the half-corset. The bust-swell will be Vformed by the fullness at the top portions of the material between 'struction without departing from the principle of my invention. For instance, the two sections from vwhich each hal f-corset isformed may themselves be formed from different pieces ofv material stitched together; or, if desirable,'as a means of saving material, either lof the two sections may consist of two or more pieces joined together in the process of'lnanufacture. j

The gist of my invention lies in forming a corset from pieces of material stitched together byfa seam curved and recurved, as described.

Having thus `described my invention, I claim- 1. As alncw manufacture, a half-corsethaving bust and hip swells and consisting of'sec tions joined together 'by a curved and re curved seam extending from the top of the bustswell downward, then curving forward and recurving backward,then extending backward along the waist-line, and finally curving downward over the hip to the bottom of the corset at or near the back-stay.

2. A'half-corset having bust and hip swells and consisting of twov sections only, said sections being joined together by a curved and recurved seam extending from the top of the bust-swell downward, then curving forward and recurving backward,then extendingbackward along the waist-line, and finally curving downward over the `hip to the bottom of the corset at or near the back-stay.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two4 witnesses. Y

Witnesses: G. AL'BERTUS CLOSE.

A. M. Woos'rnn, BERTHA E. LEE,

lOO 

